Communication

I have this idea that we can be better than we’ve been, do better than we’ve done, and have better than we’ve had. And I have this idea that if I just stay focused on that and keep working for that, working on that, working with that, I’ll derive the most health and happiness, and be of the most value to my family, friends and the world around me all at once.

I often hear from my improv performance students or workshop participants that they love class because a lot of our exercises and activities give them the ability to be like a kid again. They feel more playful and imaginative. They get silly and giggly. Feeling child-like (and not childish) can be a great benefit of practicing the principals that make improvisation great, and it goes far beyond playing schoolyard games and making up fairy tale stories.

More often than not, honesty is the best policy. I am often amazed at how many other strategies and approaches people employ to deal with each other without first attempting to talk it out. But an honest dialogue with someone pushing your buttons continues to prove itself as one of the most effective strategies for bringing out the best in people at their worst.

Here is the question most often asked by leaders: “How do I get my people to do what they are supposed to do?” In other words, most leaders are interested in how they can move people. Leaders are constantly seeking ways to motivate their employees to do take the right actions, for the right reasons, at the right time.

New evidence indicates a greater danger to the watershed than has been previously considered, and there are wetlands that keep the water clean, endangered species that depend on intact ecosystems, and rare old growth that are irreplaceable at stake. Prudence dictates caution, clarity and patience.

While managers with power assumed much, and those without assumed nothing. The manager with more power didn’t communicate with as much urgency and persuasion as did those without. For a person who MUST get results but lacks the ability to coerce others, persuasion is key.